Williamsburg's Spike Hill Will Close Next Month

And the death of Williamsburg venues continues. Bedford Avenue mainstay Spike Hill will close its doors next month, the space confirmed to Gothamist today, as the building housing the bar and venue is currently under contract. "It's unlikely that this bar will be a bar for much longer," revealed an employee at the bar this afternoon.

The employee, who asked to remain anonymous, was cagey about offering a final date for the closure, but conceded that "early December" was a workable timeline. He wasn't sure about future plans for the space, whether it would be kept intact or torn down, but said he didn't think "the building is worth anywhere near what the real estate is worth." One thing was definitely clear: "The building's under contract for a lot of money."

Sure, the bathrooms were icky and it kinda smelled like pee in places it shouldn't, but it's always a damn shame when a grungy dive rock bar shutters, especially in bourgie-besieged Williamsburg. We reached out to Spike Hill owners via email for a more concrete timetable and to see if there are any plans to relocate the venue elsewhere in Williamsburg or beyond; we'll update if we hear back.

Ricky's Dry Cleaners, located on the same plot as Spike Hill, seemed to be on the precipice of a similar fate. A worker at the store today told us they were "waiting to hear" from the new landlord whether they would be allowed to remain; even with a year left on their lease, the employee sounded resigned.

As Williamsburg slowly morphs into one gigantic Starbucks, it's always worrying when a prime piece of real estate appears to be opening up. After all, right next door to Spike Hill is the neighborhood's Dunkin Donuts—anything could be next! Just be sure to note, developers, that if you try to take Rosemary's, we will come at you with every last artisanally-crafted pitchfork.